CNN's political director David Chalian said Monday night that Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) is embracing "socialized medicine."
"I want you to understand the speed with which the Democratic Party has moved in just four years. You would never have heard the Democratic nominee in 2016, Hillary Clinton, say that," Chalian said. "And here we are, you know, three years later from that, and Kamala Harris, one of the big contenders for the nomination, is saying do away with private insurance and embrace socialized medicine."
Harris, one of the many candidates running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, called for the elimination of private health insurance plans during a televised town hall hosted by CNN in Des Moines, Iowa.
While talking about her support for "Medicare for all," Harris revealed that her plan would eliminate the private insurance market.
"Well, listen, the idea is that everyone gets access to medical care, and you don't have to go through the process of going through an insurance company, having them give you approval, going through the paperwork, all of the delay that may require. Who of us has not had that situation where you've got to wait for approval, and the doctor says, 'Well, I don't know if your insurance company is going to cover this.' Let's eliminate all of that. Let's move on," Harris said.
Chalian highlighted Harris's support of her colleague Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I., Vt.) "Medicare for all" bill that would eliminate private insurance plans.
"One [issue] that I think will come back [is] what she said when she was asked about Medicare for all. She has signed on as a co-sponsor to Bernie Sanders' bill ... She was asked about specifically whether or not that bill means that private insurance companies would be a thing of the past," Chalian said, adding Harris argued in response that Americans "absolutely" don't need private insurance companies.
The Kaiser Family Foundation released a poll last week showing Americans' opinion of "Medicare for all" dramatically shifts when they hear certain provisions of the legislation. The poll found 56 percent support the plan while 42 percent oppose before hearing about the provisions. When respondents learn that private insurance would be eliminated, support drops to 37 percent while opposition rises to 58 percent.